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September 16th, 2012 Burnt Ash, Virginia
VERITY drove her Mercedes into the country club parking lot, turning into one of the vacant spots because secretaries didn’t avail themselves of the valet service. Generally they did not come here to pester their employers either, but she needed a way to see Hollingsworth away from his home-office, and that meant playing the part of the man’s executive secretary. At least she only had to be herself for this role—if any real acting were required, she’d be in trouble.
Stepping out of the car, she smoothed her dress and realized how much she appreciated being back in a conservative skirt suit—what had basically been her work uniform for several years. It had only been a few weeks that she’d gone without proper attire—but between quitting her job, marrying Turner, and then chauffeuring Karat around, it felt like forever. The quality wasn’t what she was used to, but after a week with Karat, she was running low on funds.
Taking a pregnant woman down to Virginia had slowed her down and tapped her out. Though carting Karat to Hollingsworth, to hand her problems to him—that had been the whole point of the trip. So Verity couldn’t very well complain.
She’d discovered where Hollingsworth had disappeared to without much difficulty. It had merely meant returning to her old workplace to face her old boss—Mr. Hemmings was still the branch manager and as disapproving of secretaries who would abandon their posts for marriage as he’d been when she had quit. He’d quite relished being unable to share with her any information he had about recent activities on the part of Travelers’ Trust recipients. She didn’t work there anymore, and it was confidential. Fortunately he hadn’t been able to think of a reason why he couldn’t tell her about Hollingsworth.
The lawyer had retired his Manhattan practice, then moved back to his Virginia hometown. But the man had been unable to give up the law completely. Now he was a one-man operation working out of his home, with only his wife for a secretary.
Hopefully the club personnel didn’t know that—or would assume he’d hired Verity recently. If they challenged her, she’d prepared for that as far as she could, but if she had to appeal to Hollingsworth, she just hoped he would remember her name. After all, for him it had been ten years since he had attended her wedding.
The lawyer supposedly only took cases anymore if they interested him, but Verity believed Karat and her predicament would hook him once he heard. It might be enough to mention the woman’s husband’s name, if he and Hollingsworth had been old friends as Karat thought. But Verity had to get a chance to talk to the man first.
She herself remained skeptical—not so much of Karat’s belief that the lawyer would help her out for the sake of her husband, as this idea that somebody was spying on the woman. Still, Verity had taken a circuitous route from New York City to Burnt Ash—they’d also stayed at cheap motels where they could pay cash and use fake names. It was best to be safe. For that same reason she’d scotched the idea of approaching Hollingsworth at his home. She couldn’t risk leading any danger to the man’s door. She also didn’t want to take the chance that she wouldn’t get past that door to make her case.
Upon arriving in Burnt Ash, she had visited the library and gone through back editions of the paper, which was how she’d found out Hollingsworth regularly spent time at this club. And she’d decided this would be her best chance to talk to the man without attracting undue attention.
Striding across the blacktop and marching up to the clubhouse entrance, Verity held her slim leather folder confidently in the crook of her arm. The portfolio had cost a pretty penny, but if this didn’t work she and Karat would soon be eating at a soup kitchen. And it was an important part of the role she was playing. Verity might not know how to play-act, but she did know how to be a convincing secretary.
Still, she expected to be challenged by the doorman, and she was. “Excuse me, miss, but I don’t believe you’re a member.”
Keeping her face blank, Verity gestured slightly with her leather folder. “No, I’m not. I’m Mr. Hollingsworth’s confidential secretary.”
The man looked her up and down. “I’m sure he doesn’t want to be disturbed. Not here.”
She refrained from smiling. “No, I’m quite sure he doesn’t. But I require his signature on some documents. And it’s urgent—otherwise I wouldn’t disturb him for the world.”
He nodded at her, but he wasn’t happy about it. “Mr. Hollingsworth is in the dining room on the second floor.” He opened the door, then ignored her as she glided through.
Verity ascended the stairs and found the dining room easily enough. Thankfully it was mostly empty. Hollingsworth was eating alone at a table by the window, absorbed in finishing off a slice of pie, and she took her time crossing the room to make sure he had plenty of opportunity to notice her.
Reaching his table, she unfastened her portfolio and flipped a couple of sheets over to expose the explanation of Karat and her situation she’d typed up for him. “I’m sorry to interrupt your lunch, sir. But you said you wanted to approve these contracts the minute I had them ready.”
Hollingsworth spared a shrewd look for her before focusing on the summary. He skimmed it, then nodded at her. “I see.” He reached out and flipped the cover pages back over and, taking a pen she held out for him, scratched an illegible scrawl across the bottom of the page.
Although the summary had included the suspicion of Karat’s that someone might be watching her, he didn’t as much as glance around. He just continued to act completely normal, as he had when she’d first approached him. She was impressed.
He gave her a brief smile. “And what would you have done if someone had insisted on seeing the papers you were bringing me?”
“Sir! I’m your confidential secretary. I’d guard those papers with my life.”
He grinned wide. “And I’d expect no less.” The lawyer combed his salt-and-pepper mustache with his finger. “Now, it’ll take me another ten minutes or so to finish my dessert. I’m sure you understand why I’m not inviting you to join me.”
Verity nodded. Ten minutes to finish his meal, then the time it would take for the valet to bring his car around. He wanted her to wait for him. She had given him the motel and room number where Karat and she were staying, because he certainly wouldn’t want to be seen leaving with her. And he wasn’t asking her to follow him, so she presumed he wanted to follow her—to watch for a potential tail?
“Of course, sir. I’ll be on my way, then. After I go powder my nose.”
No one was close enough to be listening, so they were probably both being far too careful, but it was better that way in her opinion. He seemed to think so too, so she wouldn’t worry about his being insufficiently circumspect.
Turning on her heel, Verity marched out of the dining room with a casual glance at her watch—and without looking at anybody else. She continued, out of the clubhouse and across the parking lot. She slid into her Mercedes with a sigh, starting the engine so she could turn the air-conditioning on full-blast and wait for Hollingsworth. Now that it was all over her heart had started racing.
She used the occasion of looking in the rearview mirror and adjusting her makeup to watch for Hollingsworth. When she saw him leaving the club and a valet easing the man’s car up to the curb in front of him, Verity pulled out of the parking space and maneuvered the car slowly toward the exit.
After timing it so she left the lot just before Hollingsworth, she forced herself to not look back to see if he was still behind her. She focused on getting to the motel instead. If he lost her, it would not be her fault—he had glanced through the summary so fast, she only hoped he’d recall where to go if he lost her. Ten minutes later she parked outside their room.
She knocked to warn Karat before she unlocked the door, then slipped inside. The ancient air-conditioner was struggling noisily against the heat, and the pregnant woman was propped up, half lying and half sitting on one of the poor excuses for a bed. It was still a relief to be back.
Unfortunately Hollingsworth should show soon enough that Verity wouldn’t have an opportunity to rest just yet. Perhaps she was getting old—this past week with Karat had worn her out and left her wearier than she could ever recall being before. She was so tired the knock at the door startled her. Turning to look out the peephole first, she verified it was the lawyer, then let the chain off and flipped the deadbolt, stepping back as she opened the door.
Hollingsworth strode in and closed the door behind him swiftly. He glanced around the room and ended with a gaze at the ring on Verity’s finger.
“An admirable performance, Mrs. Belue. I hope you’re still married to the same man?”
She glared at him. “As far as I’m aware.” While it had been just over ten years from Hollingsworth’s perspective, for Verity it had only been nine days—eight since she’d actually seen her husband.
She saw something in his eyes, and then he was turning to Karat with a little bow. “Mrs. Silverman? Mrs. Miles Silverman?” At her nod, he introduced himself. “I’m Crispin Hollingsworth.”
Karat nodded again, her eyes wide. “You were a friend of my husband’s.”
She’d said that with a hint of a question, and he answered. “Miles and I were good friends together in law school, and I’m sorry to hear about his passing. We may not have kept in touch, but we didn’t need to, and I’m obliged to do what I can to help you out. If there’s anything I can do.”
Karat smiled as her eyes welled with tears. “I’m so glad to finally meet you, Mr. Hollingsworth, but I wish it wasn’t this way, coming to you for help. But Miles told me that if I was ever in real trouble, without him around to help—that I should see you.”
The lawyer nodded. “Of course. But Mrs. Belue didn’t give me many details about your problem.”
“Because I haven’t told her much about it. And it may take a while—won’t you have a seat?”
He looked unsure, but Verity snagged the cheap wooden chair against the wall and placed it behind him so he could sit facing Karat. He gave her a wry grin and sat down, turning back to listen to Karat’s tale.
“Please understand that Miles didn’t usually tell me about his cases. Confidentiality and all that. It was just this one that worried him so—he was afraid for his client. A government whistleblower. And he wanted me to know the details. He wouldn’t tell me the man’s name—my husband was very careful not to—in order to protect his identity.”
Hollingsworth said nothing, simply gave her his full attention and kept listening.
“One of the senators for our state, of Massachusetts that is, had been using his political influence to harass his mistress. At least, that’s what this whistleblower claimed. Miles had been looking into the situation for a few weeks when he was killed.”
Karat stopped there, and the tears threatened to start flowing. Hollingsworth nodded and spoke in a gentle voice. “Yes, Mrs. Belue gave me the details of his death, as you told them to her, and why you believe he was murdered. I’ll look into that. What I’d like to hear from you now are any details you know about this harassment.”
She sniffed and nodded and continued. “This is all second-hand, you understand? What Miles told me his client had told him. He said Senator Souseman had been having an affair with some waitress and gotten her pregnant. And that when she’d demanded support and threatened to go to the press if he didn’t come through—”
“Yes?”
“Well, apparently this woman already had a kid, a daughter in elementary school, and the next thing she knew the Department of Education had showed up at her apartment with a SWAT team and a search warrant. Supposedly they found some unapproved math textbooks and threatened to take her daughter away from her. He said the senator sent her a message—to stop making trouble or else she would lose her daughter and be audited by the IRS.”
The lawyer sighed. “Thankfully those abuses of power are rare, but they do happen, and they should never be tolerated. But without the whistleblower, I don’t know what I can do. You don’t have his name, but do you know how I can get in contact with him?”
Karat shook her head. “I don’t know anything—the man was scared, and Miles was so afraid for him that he didn’t want there to be any more contact between them than necessary. He said it was up to his client to get in touch, and only when and how he felt safe. Does this mean you can’t help?”
Hollingsworth smiled. “It means I may not be able to do anything about the senator, though we’ll see. I think I can at least do something to help with your situation. The most important thing is to make sure you, and your baby, are safe—that means moving you to a safer location while I see about setting you up with a new identity.”
“A new identity?”
“It’s the only way I won’t worry about you while I try to find a more permanent way to protect you. I think you know far too much for Senator Souseman to be comfortable, if he’s aware of it. Let’s hope he’s not.”
Verity was thinking she wouldn’t put money on that chance. Karat’s flight from home and falling off the radar should be enough to convince the senator, if he needed convincing, that she could be a threat to him. Then Verity became aware that the lawyer was pulling his wallet from inside his jacket and looking at her. He withdrew a sheaf of hundred dollar bills, and after a brief hesitation he also removed a credit card, then handed it all to her.
“That Mercedes, parked outside a place like this for too long—it will attract attention, and any attention paid to you at this point would be bad. Besides, you girls shouldn’t have to stay at a dump like this.” He nodded at what he’d given her. “Use the cash to get whatever food or clothes you’ll need and use the card to check into the Granger hotel—that should be classy enough to go with your brand new Mercedes. The card is for business expenses, and I’ll see you’re authorized on the account. Just make sure you keep the receipts, and you can itemize everything back at the office.”
Verity was nonplussed. “Back at the office?”
“Consider this your lunch break. After you settle Mrs. Silverman at the hotel, you can get to work helping me set her up with a new identity. You are my confidential secretary, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir.” That solved her own problem of how she would get along while waiting for Turner or one of the others to find her. It was likely enough one of them would be running to Hollingsworth for help at some point. But if not—if none of the Travelers had shown up come summer, she’d be checking again at the house in Chickadee.
Until then, she could help the lawyer help Karat, who had problems much bigger than Verity’s.